As the epicenter of emerging technology research, the United States must lead the way, shaping new technologies in accordance with our values.

While members of Congress in both chambers often produce thoughtful legislation on established science and technology issues, in legislation and high-profile hearings, Congress has appeared unprepared to reckon with emerging technologies and their effects on society. 

The Boston Tech Hub Faculty Working Group (FWG), hosted by former Secretary of Defense and Belfer Center Director Ash Carter and Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Frank Doyle, holds monthly discussion-based meetings that explore and answer the question:

How do we resolve the dilemmas posed to public good and public purpose, created by technology’s unstoppable advances?

The Boston Tech Hub Faculty Working Group Annual Report is a summary report of findings, key insights, and outstanding questions from the discussions held during the 2019-2020 academic year.  

In a country worried about its own internal divisions, public figures are increasingly calling for a return of the military draft, or at least some kind of mandatory national service. Wouldn’t it be good, they often reason, to reinforce for today’s young people the sense of common cause that animated the Greatest Generation? Universal service is a commendable effort to deepen citizenship that should appeal to all Americans. But a closer look at these ideas suggests deep flaws, writes former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

The best defense isn’t just a communications plan, but also a workplace culture where people are encouraged to face problems with integrity, accountability, and tenacity.

Jack Goldsmith and Ash Carter talked about Carter’s time as head of the Pentagon, the challenges of conveying national security threats to the American public, the Obama administration's response to the rise of the Islamic State, offensive cyber operations, and the role of lawyers in defense policy. 

Ash Carter told CNBC that if Alphabet’s Google is working in China, it may be unknowingly working for the Chinese military.

Ash Carter talks with UN Dispatch about the sheer vastness of the Pentagon and what he thinks the U.S. – and the world – get in return for the Pentagon's annual budget of more than $700 billion. 

As someone who served in the Pentagon’s top three jobs, Ash Carter says he has seen the good, bad, and ugly of defense program management. The good news is that, contrary to old tales of $640 toilet seats and $435 hammers, discipline in the DoD’s spending and procurement has come to be the rule and not the exception. 

Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with On Point about what goes on behind the five walls of the Pentagon and what he sees as threats now.